Animal-eared Girl Era: Start by Forming a Contract with an SSS-Class School Belle

The Fate Divine Spirit had been about to invite Xiao Ye to take the empty seat next to her,

but Ziran and Yun Bing pulled Xiao Ye over first, sitting him between them as they chirped,

"Xiao Ye, can you get in touch with Qingcheng?"

"Can you get her to come back soon? She can't stay in the future for too long."

"What if she won't want to come back after staying there for too long? What if she spends hundreds of thousands of years in the future and turns into an old lady? What if she forgets about our friendship?"

"Also, what if she stays in the future for too long, and future you gets a crush on her and makes a move? What then?"

Xiao Ye stared at them, speechless, and said, "You guys are seriously overthinking this."

"Sister Qingcheng isn't like that."

"She knows where home is, and what time belongs to her. She gets it."

"Future me already has future Sister Qingcheng, you think I'd be interested in a little girl who just got out of diapers? No way!"

Yun Xi said calmly, "Xiao Ye, you still better send Qingcheng a message, tell her to come back soon, just in case."

Ziran and Yun Bing nodded, totally agreeing.

Xiao Ye felt helpless, so he said, "Fine, I'm not sure I can reach Sister Qingcheng in the future, but I'll try my best."

Only then did Ziran, Yun Bing, and Yun Xi let out a sigh of relief.

The Fate Divine Spirit stared gloomily into the distance at Xiao Ye, her white teeth biting so hard on her cherry lips that marks were left, that's how hard she bit down.

Gu Qingcheng was the wife of the Human Emperor, and the Human Emperor had already sent Gu Qingcheng to the future.

*Then what about her, the Fate Divine Spirit? Who was she?*

*She had just realized she kind of liked the Human Emperor, and now she found out there was another Gu Qingcheng.*

*The Human Emperor liked Gu Qingcheng, but what about her, the Fate Divine Spirit? What did the Human Emperor see her as?*

The Ancestral Empress, sharp-eyed, spotted the Fate Divine Spirit's mood, and said softly,

"Human Emperor, the Fate Divine Spirit seems a little off, can you check what's up?"

"Fate Divine Spirit, what's going on? Bad mood?"

Xiao Ye frowned, "Fate Divine Spirit, are you just not used to the house specialties here?"

The Fate Divine Spirit shook her head, staying silent.

Ziran and Yun Bing exchanged a knowing look, and said,

"Xiao Ye, take the Fate Divine Spirit out for a walk."

"It's probably because you have too many beast girls around you, and with us all swarming, it might make her uncomfortable."

As far as the beast girl "big family" went, they were actually super open about it.

They never planned to have Xiao Ye all to themselves!

Xiao Ye stood up, sent Ziran, Yun Bing, and Yun Xi a private message about the Space-Time Hall time-difference upgrade, then took the Fate Divine Spirit by the hand and walked out of the Zi Family's main hall.

The Ancestral Empress's expression shifted, and she followed after them.

Zi Dao was a bit tipsy, and said,

"Daughter, you rarely come home, stay and chat with us more."

"Just spend these next few days at home."

Ziran nodded.

She could sneak into the Space-Time Hall to cultivate late at night when resting.

The time difference between the Space-Time Hall and Blue Star was 28,000 years to one day—she was absolutely shocked by that gap.

She figured she'd sneak into the Space-Time Hall late at night and come out the next morning.

Her Realm after cultivating would probably skyrocket.

Yun Xi and Yun Bing had lost interest in the banquet, but with their parents present, they also planned to sneak into the Space-Time Hall during the night, to focus on cultivating and raise their Realms.

Now, all those beast girls like Cheng Bingxi had already surpassed the Emperor Realm, and only they were left behind below the Emperor Realm.

Once upon a time, their Realms had far outstripped Cheng Bingxi and the beast girls, but now the tables had turned.

Their Realms couldn't even compare to Cheng Bingxi and the beast girls anymore.

They were beast girls of Xiao Ye too, so they wouldn't accept falling behind.

On the other side, along the inner avenue of the Zi Family's Imperial Race, Xiao Ye walked side by side with the Fate Divine Spirit and the Ancestral Empress.

The mood was a bit suffocating.

The Fate Divine Spirit and the Ancestral Empress both stayed silent, lost in thought.

Both women were wrapped up in their own minds, stealing glances at Xiao Ye's handsome profile from time to time.

The Fate Divine Spirit's eyes looked a bit full of grievance, their brightness dimming, and her mood was heavy.

The Ancestral Empress, though, was like a girl in her first crush, sneaking peeks at Xiao Ye, her pretty face tinged with blush, feeling a bit shy inside.

*Xiao Ye was focused on the Fate Divine Spirit and didn't notice the Ancestral Empress's odd behavior.*

He broke the silence, his deep voice ringing out,

"Fate Divine Spirit, I had a lot of beast girls."

"Cheng Bingxi, Nangong Siyao, Mu Qingxue, Liu Ya, Ziran, Yun Bing, Yun Xi, Gu Qingcheng, Qin Xi'Er, and if you count Huangfu Xiangling and the Reincarnation Divine Spirit, that made eleven total."

"With these beast girls, apart from my first love Cheng Bingxi, I treated them all the same."

"I wouldn't play favorites with any of them, or neglect any of them."

"The Reincarnation Divine Spirit would probably break through to the Star Domain Realm after a day on Blue Star. At that point, she could use Great Divine Power to restore your memories."

"You were my wife too, but I couldn't devote all my energy just to you."

"Sorry."

The Fate Divine Spirit's eyes darkened, and she said, "I knew all that. You didn't need to say sorry to me."

The Ancestral Empress cut in, "I knew too."

*Xiao Ye was pretty confused.*

"Fate Divine Spirit, you seemed to be in a bad mood. Why? Can you tell me?"

"Maybe I could cheer you up."

The Fate Divine Spirit decided there was nothing to hide, and she spoke her confusion aloud,

"Human Emperor, you sent Gu Qingcheng to the future."

"That means Gu Qingcheng hadn't really died. There can't be two identical people in the world, so who was I?"

She pulled out a delicate little box carved with 'Gu Qingcheng,' and said,

"Was this the crystal of our love you kept for me?"

Xiao Ye's gaze became complicated, and he said, "You were Gu Qingcheng too."

"But you were the Stand-in of Gu Qingcheng's obsession, separated by the future Gu Qingcheng herself, and you came back carrying your Divine Soul in the Space-Time Travel Pearl."

"And as for this little box, it wasn't yours. It was Sister Qingcheng's."

Clatter.

The delicate box fell to the ground. The Fate Divine Spirit's face went deathly pale, her eyes hollow.

"I was just a Stand-in?"

"I wasn't really Gu Qingcheng."

"So what was the point of my existence, just a stand-in for Gu Qingcheng?"

*She'd always thought she was Gu Qingcheng.*

*She'd treated the delicate little box as her own.*

*But the Human Emperor said she wasn't the real Gu Qingcheng, only a Stand-in!*

*She couldn't accept such a cruel reality.*

The Ancestral Empress's brows knit together. The Fate Divine Spirit was falling apart, her Fate Origin in chaos, her emotions surging wildly.

Xiao Ye spoke up, "Fate Divine Spirit, you weren't a stand-in."

"Gu Qingcheng was Gu Qingcheng, and the Stand-in of her obsession was the Stand-in, two individuals with similar destinies, two Divine Souls with the same root."

"Two similar flowers, but not the same person!"

The Fate Divine Spirit shook her head violently, emotions boiling, her face changing colors,

"No, the Stand-in separated from an original isn't a complete person."

"Human Emperor, you definitely treated me as Gu Qingcheng's replacement."

"I looked exactly like her, down to every physical detail. She was sent to the future, and you replaced her with me. As soon as she comes back, I'd be worthless!"

"I, the Fate Divine Spirit, won't accept being some replacement!"